I will be a contrarian and guess that Maile and the Red Sox will find some middle ground on the signing bonus and he'll be playing minor league ball.

Edited August 6, 200917 yr by cooperstown

I agree, I think he decides on Pro ball as well. What a tough decision to make and most of us would give anything to be in his shoes and have to make this decision. :thumb:

If the Red Sox offer $50K signing bonus and promise to pay for his college whenever he decides to go to school, why would Luke go to UK?

 

If I am not mistaken, Chris Curley, who just signed with the Braves, got a smaller signing bonus than what I list above and they promised to pay for the rest of his college. So that was an easy decision for Curley. Is the above offer an easy decision for Maile?

The difference between the offer you mention for Curley and the offer mentioned for Maile is that Curley has already spent a few years in college and put up numbers to maximize the opportunity to even receive that offer.

Maile however is already receiving a substantial portion, if not all, of his college tuition in scholarship and now has the ability through playing three years in SEC play to take what could be a $50k (as you suggest in your hypothetical) signing bonus and maximize that into something 10 times that if not more, while at the same time receiving a quality education for practically nothing and honing his baseball skills in one of the best, if not the best, baseball conference in the country.

 

I know there are risks involved in not becoming involved in professional baseball right away, but if he is willing to take that risk, then the reward could be great for him.

Because the Mailes are not hurting for money. Mr. Maile can afford to write the check to send him to most any school he wants to attend, so $50K in that sense is nothing. He's going to college. His arm and his bat are serious, but the still has to improve his overall catching game. He's going to play against a different breed of player at UK. He's gonna see more speed and skill than he's ever played against before.

 

If the Red Sox offer $50K signing bonus and promise to pay for his college whenever he decides to go to school, why would Luke go to UK?

 

If I am not mistaken, Chris Curley, who just signed with the Braves, got a smaller signing bonus than what I list above and they promised to pay for the rest of his college. So that was an easy decision for Curley. Is the above offer an easy decision for Maile?

Because the Mailes are not hurting for money. Mr. Maile can afford to write the check to send him to most any school he wants to attend, so $50K in that sense is nothing. He's going to college. His arm and his bat are serious, but the still has to improve his overall catching game. He's going to play against a different breed of player at UK. He's gonna see more speed and skill than he's ever played against before.

 

Not quite so sure that the Mailes are that rich, to afford to be sending not only Luke but also his two other brothers and sister to college without some help. The scholarship (which was a nice one) can make it easier for them to send the others to Catholic Schools and then on to college.

 

I have to disagree with two of your points.

 

First for a young man his age, he has played against some of the best young talent in the USA while playing for the Kentucky Colonels and during his many workouts for the MLB clubs.

 

Second, his catching skills are what the scouts have told me they love most about him and what has caught their interest and their eyes. You can teach a kid to hit, but young men who have his ability behind the plate are rare and when you put the two together, it is even rarer.

 

IMHO he is heading for Lexington to play for UK, but whatever he/they choose, it will be done in the best interest of Luke!

Not quite so sure that the Mailes are that rich, to afford to be sending not only Luke but also his two other brothers and sister to college without some help. The scholarship (which was a nice one) can make it easier for them to send the others to Catholic Schools and then on to college.

 

I have to disagree with two of your points.

 

First for a young man his age, he has played against some of the best young talent in the USA while playing for the Kentucky Colonels and during his many workouts for the MLB clubs.

 

Second, his catching skills are what the scouts have told me they love most about him and what has caught their interest and their eyes. You can teach a kid to hit, but young men who have his ability behind the plate are rare and when you put the two together, it is even rarer.

 

IMHO he is heading for Lexington to play for UK, but whatever he/they choose, it will be done in the best interest of Luke!

 

Luke has much improvement to do on his catching skills. Is he a great HS catcher, of course. But this is a different breed and level of game now. College will benefit him in so many ways. He'll get an education, and improve his catching skills while also facing top pitchers, allowing him to improve his hitting as well. And while he is a great hitter, if you watched him at all during the summer, then you know he def could use the 3 years to get used to seeing 90+ and more accurate pitching than he did at the HS level.

 

It seems like a pretty easy choice to me.

I agree with Oscar. Yes Luke indeed is very good in the ninth region as well as on the Colonels summer team. However, it's much different when your are facing top notch competition day in day out. Such as pitchers throwing in the 90's consistenly. Also, he does need improvement in all facets of the game. It's quite an accomplishment to be drafted out of High School but if Luke was totally ready for pro ball then he would have been selected much higher and he would have gotten the signing bonus he wanted. Major league teams select big time players and reward them with big signing bonuses. Not to say that Luke won't one day be there but right now he isn't. He needs to go to UK improve his draft stock over the next three years while getting a close to free education.

Because the Mailes are not hurting for money. Mr. Maile can afford to write the check to send him to most any school he wants to attend, so $50K in that sense is nothing. He's going to college. His arm and his bat are serious, but the still has to improve his overall catching game. He's going to play against a different breed of player at UK. He's gonna see more speed and skill than he's ever played against before.

 

That is something only the Mailes would know. You should probably leave your conceptions about others' personal lives to yourself.

I agree with Oscar. Yes Luke indeed is very good in the ninth region as well as on the Colonels summer team. However, it's much different when your are facing top notch competition day in day out. Such as pitchers throwing in the 90's consistenly. Also, he does need improvement in all facets of the game. It's quite an accomplishment to be drafted out of High School but if Luke was totally ready for pro ball then he would have been selected much higher and he would have gotten the signing bonus he wanted. Major league teams select big time players and reward them with big signing bonuses. Not to say that Luke won't one day be there but right now he isn't. He needs to go to UK improve his draft stock over the next three years while getting a close to free education.

 

So by that logic, every kid taken higher than Maile, (some 1300+ kids or whatever) is more talented than he is? :ohbrother: If you believe that, then you really don't understand this process very well.

 

He already passsed on some "pretty good" money, and that is a relative term, I realize. So, I'm saying he could have signed for between $350K-$550 for sure; which, if you look at my previous post, is middle to high 3rd round money (which is the top 110 picks overall!!...(may end up being be low 2nd round money this year, we'll see).

 

The point is, those kids who went ahead of him and have similar or even less talent/projection, but maybe they are not great students, or for whatever reason, they are willing to sign for $200-$450 when he wouldn't. So they go in the 6th, 10th, or 14th or whatever, and he goes 43rd. (btw there were 26 catchers taken in the top 10 rounds...only 4 have signed in or above that range to date!!!)

 

Where do you think Maile would have gone if he was in the $50K - $250K range?? (which is were most of this year's signees are)...There'd be a line....a BIG line!

 

But look at it this way...they want to pay a kid like maile $350K now...he looks at the kids his played against from Texas to California to Boston to where ever and sees that he stacks up real darn well. He's bigger than most, just as strong an arm, bat speed, pop times, etc.

 

Then he looks at these 1st round catchers and sees that they are getting

(09 numbers and all college kids btw) pick 4=$2.5m; pick 33=$980K; pick 38=$858K; Physically/mentally etc he's at or above where they were as h.s. seniors...so is it that tough of a decision really? A couple hundred thousand after taxes now and go to the minors and play at 10:00 am in 98 degrees with no one in the stands and nobody truly cares about anything except for you failing and them moving past you...VERSUS... SEC Baseball and a college degree?:idunno:

 

These teams don't just rank the kid by talent, draft them, and then hope they can sign them. Don't forget, these kids have probably not gone more than a couple of days without at least one club calling or stopping by to 'chat'. Just talk about things, and 'stay in touch'. "Whadya eat today after the game kid?... oh you ate out..where'd you go?"...

 

So, clubs ask up front what kind of money you want. Not always directly, but they find out your value system as best they can. They come to where you live; where they work, talk to parents, level of education; things you like/dislike..always putting a label on a kid's values. If you have great grades and a high percentage scholly...if you are mature and articulate, if you read books, if you parents are educated, etc, etc, etc. They investigate everything they can, and then they make a decision and if they think you will not take what they want to pay for a slot, or they have somebody who will sign for less, they move on. You were both crap shots anyway, risk the least money you have to.

 

Do they make mistakes...yes; do kids lie and say "I'll take X" then get drafted and say "no, I want Y"..yes; do they pay too much for one kid, and pass on one they should have paid more...sure. Do kids pass on offers they should have taken...sure; take offers they should have passed...definitely!

 

If they knew what they were doing, wouldn't the percentage of kids drafted who make to the majors be a little better ?!?!

You know Magic, there was no harm intended. My comment was not derogatory or ill-conceived in any way. I know the family too. However, your remark was completely unnecessary.

 

That is something only the Mailes would know. You should probably leave your conceptions about others' personal lives to yourself.

Edited August 7, 200917 yr by Ram
Rule 2

You know Magic, there was no harm intended. My comment was not derogatory or ill-conceived in any way. I know the family too. However, your remark was completely unnecessary.

 

I just don't think personal bank accounts should be discussed on BGP's, but since we already are they still need to send his 2 little brothers, and 2 little sisters to college, more than likely not off athletic scholarships. I'm pretty sure no father wants to write off $100,000 checks when he's got 4 more to go through the same situation, regardless of how wealthy a family may be.

Then why do you continue to bring it up? No one discussed personal bank accounts. Perhaps you should take your heed your own advice in your initial response to me (i.e., You should probably leave your conceptions about others' personal lives to yourself).

 

I just don't think personal bank accounts should be discussed on BGP's, but since we already are they still need to send his 2 little brothers, and 2 little sisters to college, more than likely not off athletic scholarships. I'm pretty sure no father wants to write off $100,000 checks when he's got 4 more to go through the same situation, regardless of how wealthy a family may be.

Then why do you continue to bring it up? No one discussed personal bank accounts. Perhaps you should take your heed your own advice in your initial response to me (i.e., You should probably leave your conceptions about others' personal lives to yourself).

 

I made a general comment to all fathers in the world, not Mr. Maile. You directly commented on a certain number and what schools he could be sent to. I apologize for hi-jacking this thread a little but I do not apologize for either or my 2 comments.

What certain number? Are you talking about the $100,000 figure? You quoted that, not me! What schools did I say he could be sent to? You really need to go back and read my post. Here, I'll save you the time:

 

"Because the Mailes are not hurting for money. Mr. Maile can afford to write the check to send him to most any school he wants to attend, so $50K in that sense is nothing. He's going to college. His arm and his bat are serious, but the still has to improve his overall catching game. He's going to play against a different breed of player at UK. He's gonna see more speed and skill than he's ever played against before"

 

Now you're running interference for the fathers of the world? I need to run and tell my kids. Bye!

 

 

I made a general comment to all fathers in the world, not Mr. Maile. You directly commented on a certain number and what schools he could be sent to. I apologize for hi-jacking this thread a little but I do not apologize for either or my 2 comments.